The present invention relates generally to the field of spread spectrum communications and, more particularly, for assigning combiner channels to the soft symbols of an information channel following demodulation in a code division multiple access (CDMA) RAKE receiver.
In spread spectrum communications, such as in CDMA systems, pseudorandom noise (PN) sequences are used to generate spread spectrum signals by increasing the bandwidth (i.e., spreading) of a baseband signal. A forward link waveform transmitted by the base station may be comprised of a pilot waveform and a data waveform. Both of the waveforms are received with the same relative phase and amplitude distortions introduced by the channel. The pilot waveform is an unmodulated PN sequence which aids in the demodulation process, as is well-known in the art as “pilot-aided demodulation.” Conventional pilot-aided demodulation methods typically include the steps of (i) demodulating the pilot waveform, (ii) estimating the relative phase and amplitude of the pilot waveform, (iii) correcting the phase of the data waveform using the estimated phase of the pilot waveform, and (iv) adjusting the weight of data symbols used in maximal ratio combining in a RAKE receiver based on the estimated amplitude of the pilot waveform. Steps (iii) and (iv) above are performed as a “dot product” as is known in the art. Conventionally, steps (i) through (iv) are performed in hardware. In some conventional methods, a controller having a central processing unit (CPU) and and/or a digital signal processor (DSP) performs some of the above-described steps.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional IS-95 forward link base station transmitter 10 (prior art). A pilot channel 12 is generated that has no data. That is, the data is predetermined to be all “0” bits. The pilot channel is modulated, or covered with a Walsh code from Walsh code generator 14 at 1.2288 Mcps (megachips per second). 64 orthogonal Walsh codes, each of 64 bits, are used in the IS-95A and 95B systems. Walsh code H0 is used to modulate the pilot channel.
Also depicted is a traffic or paging channel, which shall be referred to herein as an information channel. Data is input at one of a plurality of data rates from 9.6 kbps (kilobits per second) to 1.2 kbps. The data is encoded at encoder 16, at one bit per two code symbols, so that the output of the encoder 16 varies from 19.2 ksps (kilosymbols per second) to 2.4 ksps. Symbol repetition device 18 repeats the codes from 1 to 8 times to create a 19.2 ksps signal. Alternately stated, either 1, 2, 4, or 8 modulation symbols are created per code symbol. Then, the information channel is scrambled with a long code at the same 19.2 ksps rate. Other rates are described in the IS-2000 standard. The information channel is covered with a different Wash code from that used to cover the pilot channel, code HT for example.
After being modulated with Walsh codes, each channel is spread with a common short code, or PN sequence. Each channel is split into I and Q channels, and spread with I and Q channel PN sequences. A 90 degree phase shift is introduced by multiplying the I channels with a sin function, while the Q channel is being multiplied with a corresponding cosine function. Then, the I and Q channels are summed into a QPSK channel. In the IS-95 standard, the same baseband symbols are assigned to both the I and Q channels. The combination of all the QPSK channels, including pilot, synchronization, paging, and traffic channels can be considered a composite waveform. This composite waveform is then up-converted in frequency (not shown) and transmitted.
FIG. 2 is a conventional IS-95 CDMA receiver (prior art). At the mobile station receiver 50 the transmitted signals are accepted as analog information, split into I and Q channels, multiplied respectively by sin and cosine functions, and converted into a digital I and Q sample stream at A/D 52. Conventionally, a multi-finger RAKE is used to resolve multipath variations, or delays in the sample stream, so that degradation due to fading can be minimized. Three demodulating fingers, demodulating finger 1 (54), demodulating finger 2 (56), and demodulating finger 3 (58) all receive the same I and Q sample stream, which has been represented as a single line for simplicity. Each demodulating finger is assigned one of the sample stream multipath delays. PN codes and Walsh codes are generated with delays consistent with the multipath delays of the sample stream to be demodulated. The sample stream from the multipaths is coherently combined in combiner 60 based on a maximal ratio combining (MRC) principle.
The receiver 50 may also receive the same sample stream from more than one base station. The base stations are precisely timed and synchronized using offsets of the PN spreading code. That is, the same sample stream received from two different base stations is offset by delays that are typically much larger than multipath delays. The receiver 50 has diversity characteristics which permit it to demodulate the sample stream from two different base stations, for the purposes of a handoff for example.
In some conventional CDMA RAKE receivers, the outputs of multiple demodulating fingers are “hardwired” to combine the common information channels in a sample stream. The decision and data transfer operations of the individual finger channels are predetermined. Hardwiring reduces flexibility, as the finger channels of the demodulating fingers must always be combined with the same partner finger channels. As shown in FIG. 2, the first finger channel of each demodulating finger is permanently connected to the first combiner channel. Likewise, the second and third finger channels of each demodulating finger are connected, respectively, to the second and third combiner channels. Thus, the number of information channels, the information channel order, and the information channels that can be combined across demodulating fingers are necessarily constricted when the finger channel outputs are connected in a hardwired arrangement. Hardwiring does not permit partner finger channels to be used with different combiner channels. Such a configuration necessitates the use of many demodulating fingers to process IS-2000 standard communications, as the standard includes sample streams with many information channels. A receiver with a fixed number of finger channels in each demodulating finger can only demodulate such a fixed number of IS-2000 standard information channels.
Alternately, the soft symbols output by the demodulating finger can be buffered and transferred, via a data bus, to a CPU or DSP for combining. This software combining approach provides flexibility, as potentially the finger channels can be combined in any variation. However, the CPU or DSP may not have enough bandwidth to compete with the speed of the hardware combining solutions, nor will such solutions prove power efficient.
It would be advantageous if a CDMA RAKE receiver could be devised with great flexibility in the assignment of information channels to finger channels and demodulating fingers.
It would be advantageous if the subsequent combining of the soft symbols output by finger channels in a demodulating finger could be varied in response to the number of information channels in a sample stream.
It would be advantageous if the soft symbols output by finger channels in a plurality of demodulating fingers could be flexibly combined so that finger channels were not teamed together in permanent relationships.
It would be advantageous if the soft symbols of demodulated information channels could be flexibly combined without significant processor steps or large amounts of system overhead to store and direct the transfer of these soft symbols.